The present invention relates to an electrode system for fuel and/or electrolysis cells.
Electrodes for electrolysis, e.g., of water or for catalytic cold combustion of hydrogen and oxygen consist of a carefully coordinated selection of materials because of the mechanical, electrical, thermal and chemical arrangement thereof.
While in the past the construction selected both for electrolysis cells and for fuel cell batteries was the so-called mould shape (similar to accumulators, for example), so-called filter press construction is being preferred increasingly today.
With the filter press type construction, the individual electrodes are fitted into a support for supply and removal of reaction gases and of the electrolytes. The electrodes are placed in a support in the form of a filter press with intermediate seals. The chambers for reaction gas and electrolyte between the electrodes, formed by the seals and the electrode supports, are connected by means of small channels having recesses, through which the material for the electrochemical reaction is transported. In the case of bipolar construction, another electrical connection from the anode to the cathode of two adjacent fuel cells is present so that, in the case of layering like a filter press, the fuel cells are automatically connected electrically in series. Since with this construction both the hydrogen chamber and the oxygen chamber border each other, both gas chambers have to be separated by a corrosion-resistant, electrically conductive and gas-tight film. This film is in electrically conductive connection with respect to the anode and the cathode. A relatively compact and operationally reliable construction is achieved with this type of construction.